Golf is enjoyed by a wide variety of players—players of different genders and players of dramatically different ages and skill levels. Golf is somewhat unique in the sporting world in that such diverse collections of players can play together in golf events, even in direct competition with one another (e.g., using handicapped scoring, different tee boxes, in team formats, etc.), and still enjoy the golf outing or competition. These factors, together with increased availability of golf programming on television (e.g., golf tournaments, golf news, golf history, and/or other golf programming) and the rise of well known golf superstars, at least in part, have increased golf's popularity in recent years.
While golf is currently enjoyed by many, the enjoyment of the sport could be further enhanced by providing golfers with easy access to information that would allow them to improve their golf game and/or to incentives that will increase their enjoyment of the game.
Glossary of Terms:
The following terms are used in this specification, and these terms have the meanings described below, unless another meaning is specified or is clear from the context.
“Standard” information, such as “standard golf swing,” “standard golf swing profile,” or “standard golf swing foot force profile,” means any data or information against which a given user's data or information is compared or contrasted. In many instances, the “standard” data or information will be generated or obtained from an elite player, optionally, an elite player that has one or more characteristics in common with the user for whom the comparison is being performed (e.g., similar golf club head speed, similar body type, similar golf swing signature or composite golf swing signature (as defined below), etc.). In many instances, the user (or his/her trainer or coach) will compare himself or herself against the “standard” and/or attempt to mimic some data or information of the “standard” in an effort to improve and/or realize the same or similar results to those obtained by the standard. In many instances, the action, data, information, and/or results of the “standard” may be considered as a target or goal of the user with whom the comparison is being made.
“Golf swing dynamics data” or “golf swing dynamics information” (which may be used synonymously herein) mean data or information generated and/or measured during one or more golf swings. Such data and information may relate to any one or more of: foot force exertion or foot pressure by one foot (at one or multiple locations of the foot, optionally throughout the course of a golf swing); foot force exertion or foot pressure by both feet (at one or multiple locations of each foot, optionally throughout the golf swing); an individual's weight shift or center of gravity location information (optionally throughout the course of a golf swing); center of pressure information on one or both feet (optionally throughout the course of a golf swing, e.g., a ratio of weight on the two feet throughout the course of a swing, etc.); golf club position information; golf club face orientation information; golf club speed or velocity information (optionally, at least at and around ball impact), including angular velocities; golf club acceleration information, including angular accelerations; golf club movement path direction information (optionally, at least at and around ball impact); golfer hand position, speed, acceleration, or movement path information; grip pressure and/or pressure change information (e.g., due to hand grip, optionally, for one or both hands); golfer shoulder or torso position, speed, acceleration, or movement path information; swing video from one or more angles; any of the golf swing dynamics and/or kinematics information identified in the definition of “golf swing signature” below; etc.
“Ball flight data” or “ball flight information” (which may be used synonymously herein) mean any data or information generated and/or measured as the ball launches and flies, e.g., as a result of contact with any golf club. Such data and information may relate to any one or more of: initial ball launch angle, initial ball launch speed, initial ball launch spin (e.g., backspin (e.g., in absolute spin in RPMs) and/or spin direction (e.g., side spin and direction)), initial ball launch direction, projected or actual ball carry distance, projected or actual ball roll distance, projected or actual ball travel distance, projected or actual ball apex height, projected or actual ball apex location distance, projected or actual ball to ground impact angle, golf club head speed at a ball contact time, smash factor (e.g., a ratio of initial ball launch speed to club head speed at ball contact), golf club head movement path direction at a ball contact time, projected or actual ball flight deviation from center (or from a predefined path), golf ball flight curvature information, etc. Any data measured by conventional and/or commercially available golf ball launch monitoring systems also may constitute “ball flight data” or “ball flight information.”
A “golf swing signature” includes a data set including data relating to: (A) golf swing dynamics and/or kinematics information (such as dynamic foot force data generated during a golf swing; dynamic club position data (e.g., X, Y, and Z positions) generated during a golf swing; dynamic body position data generated during a golf swing; golf club path information at ball contact; golf club swing speed (optionally at least at ball contact); golf club angular velocity and/or acceleration data (including angular velocities and/or accelerations of one or more specific golf club components, such as the face, shaft, or grip); golf club yaw and/or attitude data; golf club face and/or shaft orientation data (e.g., over the course of a swing); an individual's weight shift and/or center of gravity location data or information; changes in any of the above parameters over the course of a single golf swing; etc.), and (B) at least one of: (i) player identification information, (ii) golf club identification information, (iii) golf club specification information, (iv) golf ball identification information, (v) golf ball specification information, (vi) player physical attribute information (e.g., height, inseam length, height from fingertip to ground, weight, waist size, etc.), and (vii) ball launch data (such as ball launch speed, direction, spin, carry distance, roll distance deviation from center, or any of the ball flight data or ball flight information as defined above). Each individual golf swing may have its own golf swing “signature.”
A “composite golf swing signature” constitutes data or information discernable from one or more golf swing signatures and/or representative of an “average” or “typical” golf swing signature, e.g., for multiple swings by an individual and/or for multiple people. In many instances, groups of swings with common or similar general golf swing dynamics data or information may be grouped together to develop a composite golf swing signature. For example, at least some players that tend to slice the ball may have relatively similar weight transfer, center of gravity positioning, club head positioning, and/or club head or hand (or other body part) motion over the course of a golf swing (e.g., an outside-to-inside swing path, a “casting” club or arm motion, an open club face at ball contact, etc.). Predominantly hookers, faders, or drawers of the golf ball also may have similar golf swing dynamics characteristics within that grouping. Information or data for multiple swings and/or multiple people with similar golf swing dynamics information (optionally along with other data, such as player size parameters, player handicap data, etc.) may be grouped together to provide a more general or “composite” golf swing signature for that grouping. “Composite golf swing signatures” also may include specific club or club type identifier information (e.g., a person's composite golf swing signature for a driver may be different from that same person's composite golf swing signature for a fairway wood, hybrid, long iron, short iron, wedge, etc.). Thus, an individual may have plural composite golf swing signatures (e.g., different for different clubs) and the feedback received via systems and methods according to some example features of this invention (e.g., suggested remedies, including training drills swing tips, etc.) may in this manner be more targeted to specific issues faced by the player for a specific club.
A “composite golf swing signature” may include data or information representative of specific golf swing dynamics information for one person, for a group of people, or for multiple swings (e.g., average or maximum foot force dynamics values during multiple golf swings). This is not a requirement. Alternatively, by looking at multiple individual golf swing signatures, the tendencies of the individual or group can be ascertained and categorized, such as: (a) slicer, low swing speed; (b) slicer, moderate swing speed; (c) slicer, high swing speed; (d) slicer, very high swing speed; (e) fader, low swing speed; (f) fader, moderate swing speed; (g) fader, high swing speed; (h) fader, very high swing speed; (i) drawer, low swing speed; (j) drawer, moderate swing speed; (k) drawer, high swing speed; (l) drawer, very high swing speed; (m) hooker, low swing speed; (n) hooker, moderate swing speed; (o) hooker, high swing speed; (p) hooker, very high swing speed; (q) straight, low swing speed; (r) straight, moderate swing speed; (s) straight, high swing speed; (t) straight, very high swing speed; etc. These (or other) categories may be used as “composite golf swing signatures” in at least some systems and methods according to this invention.
Given these general terms and definitions, aspects of this invention now will be described in more detail.